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Extractor Modification

Hello again,
Just got our new extractor, from Dadant. Looks great and will for the most part do all that I need it to do. But, it is a hand crank. The price for the one with a motor was 300-400 dollars more. That was a bit for me. I am a Maintance Man, in a huge factory and I know what the price for the drive costs. Not that much!
What they don't tell is the horsepower rating of the motor and the ratio of the gear drive. If one of you would be so kind to look at yours and give me this information, I would be gratefull to you. It would do me some good to crank the handle BUT I like to let the machine do the work.
Thanks again,
Marcus

life is like a box of chocolates,you never know what you are gonna get

I use a very old and very heavy 1/2 " varible speed drill motor directly chuck to the reel shaft. speed control is accomplished by using a variable voltage device (essentially a big rheostat used in a lot of physics/electronic type labs).

my web site is not totally complete (so please excuse the clutter) but if you need to view a couple of pictures go to earthlink.net/~etzzzbzzz/ and go to the photo section. if you should need additional picture just drop me a pm.

Sorry, I should have included the size of the extractor. It is a Little Wonder, 4 frame extractor from Dadant. Size of the motor and gearbox is not listed. I would like to get in the ball park with the drive ratio, I can use a bigger motor, if I have to and adjust it to match in the inverter/speed control.
Thanks,
Marcus

life is like a box of chocolates,you never know what you are gonna get

ml I stand corrected while getting the info I did notice there is a gear drive box on the motor. anyhow here is what you are looking for. it is a baldor industrial motor catalog number grp12540 spec number b0664201399 frame psm type 2416p hp .13 volts 90dc class f torque 15 inch pounds gear ratio is 5 to 1 the dc drive is a baldor dc drive catalog number bc136 (on3000a57) hope this helps

River Rat,
That is what I'm looking for. Thanks a million. I'll go to work and cross refference those numbers to see what I can find. I should have got the bigger extractor but Im going to have to make this one work for a season or two to at the most, pay for its self.
Thanks,
Marcus

life is like a box of chocolates,you never know what you are gonna get

I'd just go with a 1/3 hp 1750 rpm motor. Reduce the speed about 3 or 4 to one, and set up a slip pulley to control the speed. That's what Dadant and others sold for years before the electronics came out. Those old ones are all still working and will be when the electronic ones have all let the smoke out.

I'd just go with a 1/3 hp 1750 rpm motor. Reduce the speed about 3 or 4 to one, and set up a slip pulley to control the speed. That's what Dadant and others sold for years before the electronics came out. Those old ones are all still working and will be when the electronic ones have all let the smoke out.

However, I don't think the slip pulley system allows you to <easily> and slowly get up to speed when extracting. A DC motor with variable electronic control should work great - like Peggjam has. I have a heavy-duty 90 VDC geared motor off of a wheelchair - cost me 10 bucks at a salvage place. I'm looking for a <cheap> DC controller - if anyone knows a good source for that, I'd appreciate it. Thanks-

Actually, it works perfectly for that very thing. My Dadant 20 frame came that way and it's very controllable from dead stop all the way up. It's surprising but very effective. The old timers had the same problems we do, they just solved them differently.
DC controllers are on eBay every day. Mostly from treadmills.

I should see what my grandma wants for her treadmill and save some cash on the motor...lol Im thinking of just getting the 9/18 from Mann Lake w/ motor. Then when I outgrow it.... I might just have to check out Cowen. Anyone seen the 28 frame system in action?

I saw a 'much larger' horizontal radial machine in operation a number of years back up in south dakota... maybe 60 frames. quite a machine and it really saved on the labor.. very little handling. you had to have a lot of honey to extract to keep that baby turning.